For many employees, work rarely involves trekking to the Amazon to help communities affected by deforestation, scaling Costa Rica’s beaches to research the behaviour of sea turtles or working with a small business in Buenos Aires to create an expansion plan.
However, opportunities like these are becoming more common place, according to a study by CECP, which shows that in 2012, 70% of companies offered employees paid volunteering opportunities, up from 53% in 2007.
By giving back to society in this way, businesses can drive social change and use their skills, resources and workforce to support non-profits, government agencies and universities. But positive social and environmental impacts are not the only benefits of corporate volunteer programs. Companies can reap the rewards too.
